


These Four Words

by 2wenty1nepilots



Category: All Time Low, Bandom
Genre: Break Up, Cheating, M/M, Military, Sad, im tragic at tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 15:18:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10573995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2wenty1nepilots/pseuds/2wenty1nepilots
Summary: Zack comes back home to surprise his boyfriend, Jack, after being overseas for a year. Little does he know that Jack has a surprise for him too.





	

I was standing outside our apartment door with a bouquet of flowers in my hand and I was excited to open. I was deployed over a year ago and Jack thought I was coming home a month from now. But I got new that I was being sent back home early and the first thing that came to mind was that I couldn’t wait to surprise my boyfriend when I came home early.

I took the key that was in my hand and opened the door, I couldn’t wait to see the look on Jack’s face when he sees me. If he has missed me half as much as I have missed him this year I know he’ll be as happy as I am.

I hear a commotion coming from the kitchen and figures that he must be cooking. I made reservations for us tonight to add to the surprise but I guess I could cancel them for a nice night in. Spending the night just between me and him doesn’t sound too bad at all.

Then I hear talking, but that doesn’t worry me. He must have just brought a friend over, his recent letters having been talking about how lonely he has been without me there.

I was fine and I was happy and I was excited. My life was perfect until I walked into the kitchen and saw them.

Jack was cooking something in a pan and our friend, well I guess his more than friend, was holding him from behind and kissing him on the back of the neck.

I thought I was going to be sick.

They didn’t hear me come in. I have to say something so they know I’m here. But I feel like I can’t speak at all like my throat is closed up.

“J-jack?” Is all I can get out.

He whips around and throws Rian’s arms off of him. “Oh my God Zack! You’re back! Why are you back so soon? You weren’t supposed to come back for another month or so.” Jack looked horrified.  
I would too if my boyfriend came back from overseas and caught me cheating.

“Are you and Rian… Are you and Rian together? Are you cheating on me?” I look over at Rian, the man who I thought was my best friend. “Is this really happening to me?”

Alex and Rian look at each other and then back at me before Alex speaks. “Babe, I told you about how lonely I’ve been.”

“You think I don’t know that? I was gone too ya know? I’ve been lonely, hell, I’ve been depressed because I missed you so much while I was gone.”

“Yeah bu-“

“And with Rian? My best friend? Do you guys really have that little respect for me?” I throw the flowers I had gotten for Jack on the ground in frustration. “I thought I was doing us a favor by coming over here, surprising you with my early return and you do this shit to me? How long has this even been going on?”

I see Rian count on his fingers before he speaks up quietly “seven months.” Is all he says to me.  
“Wow! Couldn’t even keep it in your pants for half a year Jack? Really? Did I really mean that much to you?”

“Zack, that’s not what this means.”

“Then what does this mean Jack? What does it mean when you cheat on the guy you’ve been dating for six years that had to leave for eleven months? What does it mean you cheat on him with his best friend? What does it mean when you fuck him our bed in our apartment? And cook him nice dinners while he holds you and kisses your neck? What does that fucking mean Jack?”

Jack is silent, he doesn’t have a reply for him.

“Zack, listen” Rian is speaking again and honestly, it only makes me angry “We didn’t know you were coming home so soon.”

I laugh at that “Is that supposed to make this any better?”

Rian shuts up and looks down at the ground.

“You were my friend Rian. You weren’t supposed to do this to me… What about Cass?”

Rian looks up at me with a scared expression “Oh God, please don’t tell her.”

And somehow, that infuriates me.

“You’re telling me you’re cheating on her too? She doesn’t know that you two are fucking behind our backs?” I let out a loud sigh. “Rian, she does not deserve this. And obviously, you don’t deserve her. She is literally the best thing that could ever happen to you and you do this to her?”

He looks completely ashamed. Good.

“Um, I think I’m gonna go have a talk with Cass. Yeah, we need to talk.” He grabs his jacket and goes to kiss Jack’s cheek, out of habit probably, but remembers the situation and stops mid-way. I see him mouth the words ‘love you’ hoping I wouldn’t see. I don’t know of that breaks my heart or angers me even more. Probably both.

He walks out of the kitchen and closes the door to the apartment. Now it’s just me and Jack.

“What am I supposed to do now Jack?” That’s it, I finally lose it and start shedding tears. I held on for so long but I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Do you love him? Like do you really love him?”

“Yeah, yeah I do actually. I think I have for some time now.”

“Some time? L-like how long?”

He lets out a long sigh “Since before you left. So at least a year? Maybe two? The months are just blurring together in my head right now.”

If you listen close enough, you can hear my heart actually fall to the ground and break into a million pieces.

“So do you love me anymore?” I’m crying even more now. Why did I even ask that? I know the answer

“No, I don’t. I don’t love you.”

I feel like I can’t breathe. He doesn’t love me, the man I have loved for years fell out of love with me. The man that I still love, even if he has done this tragic thing to me, doesn’t love me.”

“I see.” I look around the room, I don’t want to make any eye contact with him. While I look around the room and see that our kitchen hasn’t changed at all. Pictures of Jack and I are still all over the room. I wonder if that ever bothered him and Rian. I wonder if having pictures of the man they were betraying all over the apartment ever upset them.

“I think I want you to leave.” Is the next thing I allow myself to say.

Jack actually has the nerve to look at me in disbelief.

“Zack, I live here. You can’t just make me leave.”

“Lived. You lived here. I want you to get your shit and whatever shit Rian fucking left in here and I want you to get the fuck out of here because I don’t really want to look at your fucking face right now okay?”

“Where am I supposed to go?”

“I don’t fucking know, Jack. You should have thought about that while you were fucking my best friend.”

And with that Jack goes to the room to collect his things. About 10 minutes later while I’m still crying in the kitchen he comes out with a suitcase packed.

“Rian and I will be back tomorrow to get the rest.”

“Text me before you get here, I don’t want to be around when you come over.”

And with that Alex nods says a goodbye (that I don’t reply to) and leaves the apartment.

I pull a shiny engagement ring out of my uniform pocket and chuck it across the room, I think it left a small dent in the wall.

Well, I guess it’s just me now.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment! I love attention!


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